[Alan Brown]

Thanks, Rick, for the permission to shuttle between organizing documents. Could never really figure out why i had several templates that came in and out of “fashion” — now I realize why — because needs change…daily tasks change. Maybe not as dramatically as, for instance, when you’re in production for your TV show vs just regular running of your business. Will now dust off a couple of the old templates to see which might be a better fit at the moment…AB

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[Alan Brown]

Hi @Tiddler  — you mentioned something interesting about not being able to “work in the same place every day” — yet you seemed to want to force yourself to do so. I say it’s totally OK to move around. If you can be more productive by shifting location once in a while, go for it.

In fact, I use a little trick i call Venue Change:

When your mind becomes worn from study or a tough task, get up and go somewhere else. To another room. To another chair at the same desk or in the same room. To your porch. To a coffee shop.

The movement gets blood and oxygen to your brain…and the brief break rests your brain muscles – plus, the new environment gives you a psychological fresh start.

Yes, you’ve run the clock a bit by the time you’re back to working, but you can get gads more mileage from your brain’s fuel tank with this simple trick.

Give it a try. And never assume that just cuz “normal people” do something (like sitting in the same seat all freakin’ day and be super-productive) doesn’t mean it’s right for YOUR special wiring!

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[Alan Brown]

@Heather — your feelings toward yourself are, sadly, very common among us ADDers. I spent decades busting my butt in a career where i just assumed that everybody was smarter than me, or that everybody secretly knew i was a “fraud” waiting to be exposed.

This is part of the deadly, “Negative Self-Talk” that ADHD coaches are trained to quickly identify and “re-frame”. Here’s a blog about this that also links to a radio interview on Attention Talk Radio about the subject.

Understand Negative Self-Talk for Natural ADHD Remedy

I’ll also bet that Rick Green and the TotallyADD team has done a webinar or interview with some expert(s) on the topic. It’s totally worth spending some time reading about. Important that you re-frame your thoughts about yourself…you deserve WAY better!!

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[Alan Brown]

Congrats on the diagnosis. First step in fully understanding your past and present, and crafting a future full of great potential!

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[Alan Brown]

I LOVE this classic tale, @blackdog. It’s so classic it’s almost not funny. Luckily we tend to see the humor in this craziness. On a semi-serious note, here’s my trick for staying on-task:

The way to get ENGAGED in an important task is to determine forcefully that THIS IS WHAT I’M DOING NOW. The way to keep from getting pulled AWAY from that thing is to guard your mind’s open window – with a labeling gun for things that are “NOT WHAT I’M DOING NOW”.

Example: I’ve sat down to write an important letter that I’ve been putting off, because it requires lots of thought. A few minutes in, I remember that I meant to trim my soul-patch (the little button under my lower lip), and it’s appealing because that would be so much easier than writing. Writing is hard. AND TRIMMING MY SOUL-PATCH is a nice diversion — BUT UNLESS IT’S GETTING IN MY WAY OF EATING, IT IS BULL-oney. And it’s not what I’m doing now. Right now I’m writing this letter.

THEN, Halfway through I get a text from a colleague from whom I’m expecting an update. “Now THAT’s important,” I think, but texting with a colleague is NOT WHAT I’M DOING NOW. What I’m doing now is writing a letter. So I jot down on a STICKIE that I’ll return his text and get back to work — BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT, JUST NOT WHAT I’M DOING NOW.

“Multitasking is for suckers”, someone wise once said. If you can identify the task you’re doing now and do it, believe it or not, you can stay on it. The trick is LABELING.

You could easily substitute your original task and the diversions into the above. I hope it’s helpful!!

 

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[Alan Brown]

I think our ADD tribe’s experience is likely to be more like Michael Palin’s — and I just got done watching Rick’s TEDx Talk where he described his own mish-mash of a “career track”. I’m one of those mish-mashers, too, to some extent. Do what ya love. And do a search for Wilma Fellman — she’s one of the top experts on ADHD and work/careers. Best of luck in your pursuits!

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